IAM Local 850 in Oklahoma City, OK has 14 new members after employees of Balfour Beatty Communities (BBC) at Tinker Air Force Base voted to join the IAM.
“They just endured three weeks of a constant anti-union campaign from the company and union-busting law firm Jackson Lewis, but they remained united from our first meeting,” said Local 850 President Ben Moody. “They are excited about having a collective voice at work, and cannot wait to work under an IAM union contract.”
The new members provide nearly all base housing services and maintenance for military service members and their families. The employer has service contracts at Tinker and more than 50 other federal military facilities in the U.S. where similar services are provided.
This is the first BBC location organized by the IAM, which endured a misleading and ultimately unsuccessful propaganda effort by the employer. The victory opens the door to bring good union jobs to hundreds of other workers employed by the company under the Service Contract Act in Oklahoma and across the country.
“Congratulations to our new members,” said IAM Southern Territory General Vice President Mark Blondin. “We appreciate the hard work of District 171 DBR Tony Bennett and the local organizing team.”
Read the original article on the www.goiam.org website here.